KTR accuses Congress of ‘betraying’ persons with disabilities

KT Rama Rao accused the Congress government of betraying persons with disabilities by failing to fulfil key welfare promises even after two years in power. He contrasted the alleged inaction with BRS regime’s record and vowed continued pressure until all assurances are met

Hyderabad: On the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, BRS working president KT Rama Rao came down strongly on the Congress government for betraying the disabled community. He said the government had failed to honour even a single major promise made to them during the 2023 election campaign, even after two years in power.

He highlighted the “gross negligence and deceit” of the Revanth Reddy-led Congress regime, terming its pre-election assurances to persons with disabilities were meant only to grab power. “Congress showed big dreams to the disabled only to win votes. Today, after two years, not one promise has been fulfilled. This is outright betrayal of the most vulnerable section of society,” he said.

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The BRS leader listed out the key promises that remain unimplemented- increasing monthly pension for persons with disabilities from Rs 4,016 to Rs 6,000, providing free travel in TGSRTC buses for the disabled, filling thousands of backlog vacancies reserved for persons with disabilities in government jobs, enhancing social security and welfare measures beyond what the previous BRS government had introduced.

Slamming the Congress for “abandoning the disabled the moment they came to power”, he contrasted the current government’s inaction with the BRS regime’s record under former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. During its ten-year rule, the BRS government had raised Aasara pension for the disabled to Rs 4,016 – the highest in India at the time, disbursed nearly Rs 10,000 crore directly to disabled beneficiaries through pensions, increased reservation in government jobs from 3% to 4% and provided free assistive devices and aids through the Disabled Welfare Corporation.

“The BRS government ensured that persons with disabilities could live with dignity and self-respect. The Congress government has pushed them back into despair,” he charged. The BRS Working President vowed that his party would continue to be the voice of the disabled community inside and outside the Assembly until every genuine demand is met. “Until the Congress government wakes up from its deep slumber and implements its own promises, the BRS will fight shoulder-to-shoulder with our disabled brothers and sisters,” he asserted.